


For the Love of Dog

by starbreads



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Humphrey is the goodest boy, Lots of animals, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vet Kara au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-06-26 13:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15664272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starbreads/pseuds/starbreads
Summary: Lena finds a puppy after a bad storm and just wants to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to carlie and the supercorp zine chat for this.

Lightning cracked apart the sky, the deafening boom of thunder not far behind. The wind was strong, bending trees sideways and making street lights dance. Rain pounded the earth, tapping away at concrete and glass, an indecipherable rhythm that was soothing nonetheless. It was Lena’s favorite kind of day. 

HIgh above in her office, she looked out the window to the world below. Lights from other buildings shone just barely in the heavy storm. Below, there was little to no movement, only the occasional car slowly making its way through the slippery streets. She sighed contentedly as she reclined in her chair, taking a small sip of the lukewarm coffee she held in her left hand, her right hand tapping out a rhythm that only she could hear. 

She loved storms like this, always had ever since she could remember. She loved it because when she was little, she was scared of thunder, especially thunder like this, cracking across the sky too loud to even hear herself think. But her brother, Lex, would hide with her under her bed, reassuring her that everything was alright. He always said he loved the stormy night, because the next day it seemed the sun was brighter than ever, determined to cast its light despite the heavy clouds. She grew to like storms too. Lex is gone now, has been for many years, but Lena swears that she can hear his booming laughter when it rains. 

Lena also loves storms like this because her meetings are cancelled, her work load lessened, both in caution of the rain and because she likes to sit, sometimes for hours on end, watching the patterns of drops hitting her windows. It gives her time to relax, time to find some peace despite the raging chaos outside. 

“Lena?” Jess’ voice calls from the phone on her desk, the late hour deeming that Jess is past formalities now. “Your driver is here.”

“Thank you Jess.” Lena murmurs, not wanting to disturb the peace, turning to her desk and gathering her things, throwing the empty cup of coffee in the recycling bin before she heads downstairs, bidding Jess a soft goodbye.

Her driver is waiting outside the car, a huge black umbrella thrust in her direction when she steps outside. It’s only drizzling now, if the occasional drop of rain that falls could even be considered that, but Lena thanks him anyways, throwing her bag across the car seat and sighing as he closes the door for her, elbow propped against the window as she looks outside to the rained out streets. 

Her eyes are unfocused, glazed over slightly with exhaustion that she's not ready to admit to herself yet, and she finds herself thinking of her bed at home, and how she's glad tomorrow is sunday because it’s the only day she actually allows herself to rest in the week.

The car is stopped at a red light when she spots it, a small black mass shivering on the sidewalk, hidden under a scraggly bush that offers no protection from the elements.  
“Stop the car!” Lena yells, a moot point since they weren’t moving anyways, but her driver dutifully sets the car on park, throwing her a confused look through the rearview mirror as Lena scrambles out of the car. 

She doesn’t even look before crossing the street, unworried about any cars since it was one in the morning and the likelihood of any kind of traffic after a storm was definitely zero.

The puppy is shivering madly, and when she slowly steps closer to it, she can hear the pitiful whines it lets out, curled in on itself to try to find some warmth in the cool breeze the rain left behind. He’s absolutely soaked, his black fur weighed down from the rain, and she can see how skinny he is, his ribs visible underneath his fur. Her heart breaks for the little guy, and she bends down beside him, prodding the area around his neck in search of some kind of collar, but there’s nothing.

“Fuck.” She swears under her breath, then apologizes to the puppy as if he could understand her. Something about him makes her want to be careful. Maybe it’s how small he is, no bigger than the handbag she has, or maybe it's the little whines, or his big brown eyes that look up at her.

She has nothing to pick him up with, no blanket or towel in her car, but she quickly sheds her coat and wraps him up in it, holding the bundle close to her chest. She can feel him shivering in her arms and she holds him closer.

Her driver only raises an eyebrow when she gets back in the car. “Hold on a sec.” It’s hard with the puppy in her arms, but she manages to pull out her phone and google’s the nearest vet. By a miracle the one closest to her is open twenty-four hours, and she directs her driver to it, the puppy in her arms shivering less, but she still worries. She’s never had a dog and doesn’t even know where to begin to care for him. Much less one she just found, who knows how long he had been in the storm and the streets. She just hopes she wasn’t too late.

The vet hospital is open, and she asks her driver to wait as she steps inside. It’s warm and she’s grateful for it, feeling the cold now that she no longer has her coat on, but of the two of them the puppy needed it more. 

“HI, what can I do for you?” The receptionist asks, a bright smile on her face. 

“Hi.” Lena walks over, the puppy hugged to her chest. “I found him on the street. I don’t know anything about dogs so, um, I just wanna help him.”

“Sure, we can help.” The receptionists hands a clipboard over. “Just fill this out please, you don’t have to give him a name, but it’s just for our records. Once you’re done just leave it here and feel free to walk into room one.”

Lena thanks her and takes the clipboard and puppy over to one of the plastic chairs in the waiting area. It’s still a little hard, but she works one handed to fill out the paper, pausing at the questions of the puppy.

“Name? I don’t know what your name is.” Lena says, mumbling to the dog. He just whines softly, wiggling closer to her warmth and she smiles. “How about Humphrey?” The puppy just sighs as if resigned to the name and she laughs. “Don’t look at me like that, that’s the street I found you at, remember?”

She succeeds in filling out the page, even with her limited knowledge of the dog, and when she sets the clipboard down for the receptionist, she’s waved over to a door that opens into a long hall with doors on one side. Room one is open and she steps in, thanking the receptionist and then sits on one of the chairs as she waits for the doctor.

Humphrey has probably decided he’s okay now and tries to get out of the coat, his little paws pushing against the fabric. Lena smiles and bundles him again, her mouth open to scold him when a soft knock interrupts her.

A blonde head pops in, the smile on the womans face bright as she steps in and closes the door behind her. She has her hair in a messy bun on top of her head, black glasses perched on her face and her scrubs have little cartoon ducks on them. Lena can’t help but smile back.

“Hey! My name is Kara, I’ll be helping you today.” She sticks her hand out and Lena shakes it, dropping it quickly to grab the squirmy creature in her arms. Kara immediately coos as she bends slightly to look at the puppy. “Is this little Humphrey? Oh look at you, what a handsome boy. Can you set him on the table please? I’ll be looking him over and ask you some questions.”

“Sure.” Lena sets the coat-puppy bundle down and helps Humphrey untangle himself. Once free, the puppy starts sniffing at the table, his little tail sticking out from his body. Kara whistles softly to get his attention and then lets the puppy sniff her hand before she grabs his little body, her fingers deftly poking and prodding.

“So, how did you two meet?” Kara asks, eyes looking at Lena but hands focused on the puppy.

“I found him sitting under a bush on Humphrey street. I couldn’t just leave him there, you know? He looked so small and he was shivering like crazy. And now we’re here.” Lena shrugs, not really able to offer up any more information.

Kara nods and looks at the puppy, gently flipping him on his back as she checks his belly, then listens to his heart and lungs with her stethoscope. Humphrey cries at that, trying to nip at Kara’s hands and she just lets him, unbothered by the tiny teeth.  
“Well, he seems like he's in good shape overall. He’s a little thin but regular meals should help with that. You might wanna consider doing some blood tests to make sure he has nothing going on inside.” She let’s Humphrey go and the puppy shakes himself, his fur still damp but even so Lena can see that’s he’s fluffy. So fluffy.

“Sure. I really don’t know anything about dogs, so I think the tests are a good idea.” Lena said, reaching out the pet the little guy. He sits himself down in front of Lena, tiny pink tongue out as he looks up at her, his tail waggin madly and she can’t help but smile at him.

“Are you gonna keep him?” Kara asks, her tone soft. 

“Oh! No, I don’t think so. I can’t take care of a dog, I’m too busy for him.” Lena frowns slightly, her hand pausing in the puppy’s fur.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’m sure we can find him a new home. He’s so cute. I’m gonna go grab some stuff for his blood test okay? Just sit tight.” With that, Kara disappears, leaving Lena with Humphrey. 

The puppy is lying down now, little legs splayed out on the table, his eyes fluttering as he fights to stay awake even though he must be beyond tired. Lena just runs her hands through her fur, a little sad she won’t get to keep him. Part of her doesn’t want to give him away, in just the short time she’s known him she loves him already, enamoured with his feisty personality and big brown eyes that look at her with an unwavering fondness. She thinks how no one else has ever looked at her like that. But Humphrey does, little tongue sticking out between his teeth as he dozes. 

The rational part of her brain tells her it’s not a good idea. She’s just too busy running L-Corp, and while she can definitely hire someone to look after him when she can’t it doesn’t seem fair. She knows all too well the feeling of people coming into your life and then leaving and she can’t bear the thought of little Humphrey going through that. 

Kara forgoes knocking this time, stepping into the room with what Lena guesses are needles to draw blood. She’s right as Kara nudges Humphrey awake, then carefully draws some blood from his forearm, Lena wincing slightly as the puppy cries out in pain. It’s over quickly, Kara wrapping his arm with a purple bandage wrap, and Humphrey looks up at Kara with what only can be described as betrayal. 

“Sorry little guy, you’ll be fine.” Kara pets Humphrey for a second before she leaves again, letting Lena know that the test results shouldn’t take long.

Lena’s heart breaks again at how tiny Humphrey looks and she scoops him up into her arms again, sitting down on the chair. She doesn’t know how much time has passed because suddenly she’s being nudged awake by an amused looking Kara.

“Looks like he’s not the only tired one, huh?” Kara says, a smile on her face. “Humphrey is a-okay. You guys are good to go. I’ll be sending some puppy food that will help him put on some weight and I wanna see him back in a week. He’s about six weeks old so he’ll need to get his shots next visit. You said you couldn't keep him right? So next time you bring him I’ll be taking him home until I can find him a better one.”

Lena blinks the sleepiness from her eyes and nods. Kara hands her a slip of paper to hand to the receptionist and bids her goodbye before walking into the depths of the vet clinic. Lena is careful not to jostle the sleeping Humphrey in her arms as she pays. A tech helps her carry the bag of puppy food to her waiting car, and once she’s ready, the puppy now in her lap her driver takes them home.

A week. Just one week that she had to take care of Humphrey. And then he was going to live with Kara until he could go to his forever home. Lena could do a week.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow im blown away at everyone's amazing response to the first chapter!! thanks to everyone who's left a comment and a kudos, you guys rock! 
> 
> enjoy :)

Lena considered herself a patient woman. She had to be in her line of work. There was always someone or something that could go wrong or not go the way she wanted it to, so she learned a long time ago to take deep breaths, count to twenty, and then deal with it again or come back to it later. It was a strategy that worked well for her all things considering. Especially being in her position as long as she had, she had to learn to be patient because getting mad or frustrated was counterproductive and after all, time was money and she couldn't afford to waste any.

That being said, Lena was about to lose her damn mind. Humphrey would not stop crying. He had been crying for the last three hours and Lena felt like crying herself out of frustration. Nothing she did could make him stop.

She bathed him in her tub with some warm water and dish soap when she got home and then fed him. He was fine for a while as she got ready for bed, exhausted after such a long day and looking forward to sleeping in. But the second she turned off her lights and settled into bed, the covers tucked under her chin the way she liked, he started. And he just wouldn't stop.

Lena thought it was a good idea to lock him in the bedroom with her. Putting him in the bathroom just seemed cruel, and at least this way she could keep an eye on him and he wouldn't have free range to her house. Now, she regrets it. 

Looking back on it she has no idea how Doctor Kara even convinced her into thinking it was a good idea to watch the puppy for a week. In retrospect, she figured it would be easy but it seemed Humphrey had other plans.

She held out as long as she could but eventually she flicked the light on her nightstand on, casting the room with a warm yellow light as she sat up and unplugged her phone from where it was charging. Humphrey, attracted by the light and movement scurried across the floor, his little paws tapping against the hard tile as he walked to Lena’s side. She looks down at him as the phone rings and she can't help but furrow her eyebrows a bit when all he does is stare up at her and wag his tail. 

“Oh, so now you're quiet?” Lena mutters. Humphrey just sits and makes a soft whining sound.

“Pet hospital, how can I help you tonight?” the voice on the other side says. 

“Hi, sorry to bother but I was wondering if I could speak with Kara please?” Lena asks, eyeing the puppy as she talked. 

“Sure, one moment please.”

Humphrey whines again and puts his front paws on Lena’s bed, too tiny to jump on it so he just pushes against it in frustration making pitiful sounds. 

“This is Dr. Danvers, how can I help you?” Kara’s voice comes on the line.

“Kara, hi. This is Lena Luthor.” Lena said. “I was there a little while ago with Humphrey? The little puppy.”

“Miss Luthor, hi! What can I do for you? Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure. I’m calling because he won’t stop crying.”

“Do you think he hurt himself?”

“No, I don’t think so. I bathed and fed him when we got home, but right when I got into bed and turned the lights off he started crying.”

“Ah. Well yeah. Puppies cry a lot, he probably just wants attention. Give him a bit, he should tire himself out soon enough. He’ll cry the first few nights but he’ll get over it after a while.”

“Kara, he’s been crying for three hours straight. I’m about to cry myself from frustration.”

Lena startled at the sound of laughter coming from Kara. It was loud and carefree, but it stopped as soon as it started. 

“Sorry Miss Luthor, I didn’t mean to laugh. Humphrey is one persistent little guy. I’m guessing you have him in the room with you?”

“It’s okay, I would laugh too if I wasn’t so tired. And yes. I thought it better to keep him somewhere where I could watch him. I don’t need him having accidents all over the house during the night.”

“Lena. Can I call you Lena? Humphrey wants to get on the bed with you. That’s why he’s crying!” Kara couldn’t help the giggle when she heard Lena groan.

“Are you serious? That’s why? Oh god. Humphrey you little shit. Oops, sorry. I forget you’re a baby.”

Kara laughed harder as she heard Lena apologize to the puppy because of course she would.

“In my professional opinion I would say not to let him on the bed. Get him a little bed next to yours. But honestly? Dog cuddles are the best, so really it’s up to you.”

“Ugh. Thanks Kara, I appreciate it. Have a goodnight.”

“Goodnight Lena. And don’t hesitate to call if you have anymore questions.”

With that, the line went dead and Lena groaned again, dropping back on to her pillows. Humphrey began to whine and Lena rolled over, grabbing one of her pillows and covering her head with it. 

Humphrey began to cry in earnest now, his voice high pitched and incredibly loud in the enclosed room. Lena could feel the bed sheets move as the puppy pawed at them, emitting little growls when he would grab the sheets in his mouth and pull. She didn’t have the heart to scold him, so she reached down with on hand, rolling onto her stomach close to the edge of the bed. 

Humphrey whined even as she pet him, his tiny paws insistently pushing against the sheets. A quick glance at the clock told Lena it was already five in the morning. Her eyes burned and she really couldn’t take it anymore. Under her better judgement she grabbed the puppy around his torso and hauled him up onto the bed. It was as if a switch had been flipped.

Humphrey settled immediately, wiggling his way under her arm and huffing as he lay down. Lena was surprised at the apparent lack of interest in her personal space, and she couldn’t help but smile a little as the puppy’s eyes closed, his breath evening out and just the tip of his tongue sticking out between his teeth. She sighed and resigned herself to the fact that the puppy just wanted cuddles and refused to sleep otherwise. 

It was only a week though, just a few more days of sharing a bed with the little creature and then she wouldn’t have to worry about him peeing on her bed.

//

When Lena’s eyes blinked open sometime around noon, she was met face to face with an excited puppy grin, all teeth and tongue, and a lungful of puppy breath. She made a face and turned around, her back to Humphrey, but he was having none of that. He climbed over her and she let out an ‘oomph’ as Humphrey’s paws dug into her side as he tried to reach her face. 

As soon as she was in reach, Humphrey tried to lick at her nose and lips and Lena wirnkled her nose, wiping her face with her blanket and pushing the puppy away.

“That’s literally the grossest thing, Humphrey.” she said, holding the dog at arms reach with both hands. Humphrey’s little body wiggled with excitement, looking like he was about to burst from Lena’s attention. She smiled at him until he started whining, biting at her hands.

“Dude, stop that, it hurts!” Lena tapped his muzzle and let him go. Humphrey ran to the foot of the bed, and before Lena could stop him he jumped, his tail sticking straight out. “Humphrey!”

Lena sat up and crawled to the edge, worried for the puppy’s safety, but Humphrey was fine. More than fine, in fact, as he took a moment to sniff around the floor and then squatted to pee.

“Humphrey!” Lena exclaimed, so in shock and not knowing what to do, but the puppy clearly had a lack of guilt or shame because as soon as he finished he turned right around, running towards Lena his little paws slipping on the pee-covered floor. Lena could only watch in open-mouthed horror as Humphrey proceeded to stand on his back paws and place his wet front legs on Lena’s pristine white comforter. Lena wanted to scream. Having a dog was a lot harder than she thought.

She took a moment to count to twenty, all the while to the tune of Humphrey’s insistent little barks. When she was done, she took a deep breath and finally reach over to grab the puppy, walking over to the bathroom and depositing him in the tall tub. She ignored his crying as she looked for paper towels and cleaning solution to pick up his mess, and when all was said and done she turned to the tiny, furry culprit.

She smiled a little at the sight that greeted her in the bathroom: Humphrey sat dejected in the bathtub, resigned to his fate when he realized he was too little to escape. Lena gave him a bath, again, all the while scolding him under her breath, but Humphrey didn’t seem to care as he lapped up all the attention his human was giving him, his little black tail wagging furiously. 

When they were done, Lena grabbed the towel she had designated as his and wrapped him up in it, a more welcome parallel to how she had found him the day before. Humphrey decided he was tired already and settled against Lena’s chest as she sat back on her bed and grabbed her phone, turning to google to find a list of essential puppy needs. 

Page after page loaded, but she finally found one that seemed to be the best, with positive reviews and she saved it to her phone, her other hand running through Humphrey’s thick fur. She knew she would only have Humphrey for a week but she wanted all her bases covered, and she could always just give Kara all his stuff when he eventually went to live with her. Besides, it’s not like it was a huge expense anyway, and the puppy definitely needed toys to distract himself with.

Armed with the list and the puppy, Lena called her driver and had him drop him off at the local pet retail chain store. She grabbed a shopping cart and placed Humphrey in the big area, making sure he wasn’t going to jump out before she began to make her way through the store. 

They already had dog food as prescribed by his vet, so the next most important thing was a harness and a leash. Lena thought they wouldn’t take too long but there was just so many options. 

“What do you think of these?” Lena held a blue harness in one hand and a red harness in the other, holding them up to Humphrey so he could smell at them. “Which color do you like more?” Humphrey just wagged his tail and yapped at Lena. “You’re right, the red one is better.” Lena grabbed the matching leash and placed both of them in the cart. 

“Now you need a collar. You need one for all the tags. It says here on the list it’s best to have botha collar and harness so that’s what we’re going with.” Lena pushed the cart with Humphrey down the aisle, stopping in front of the collar selection. “Should we match with your harness?”

Humphrey stood up, tiny nose twitching as he took in all the new smells that the store had to offer. Lena just watched him for a moment and then nodded as if she agreed. “Right again Humphrey. It’s better if they match.” She grabbed a red collar off the rack, holding Humphrey down as she measured it around his neck to make sure it wasn’t too big or too small. Humphrey licked at her hand, shooting Lena a wide puppy grin. Satisfied, Lena moved them down the next aisle, scolding the puppy as he tried to chew at the harness.

“Behave or you’re not getting a soft bed to sleep on.” She said. Humphrey barked at her indignantly. “Well stop chewing your stuff! I’m gonna place a few options in the cart and whichever one you pick we’ll take home.” 

They ended up with two different beds, Lena reasoning that Humphrey needed one for her office since she definitely didn’t trust him to stay at home alone all day. And lugging his bed back and forth was just too much of an unnecessary effort. Humphrey sat on top of one of his new beds, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he curiously watched the aisles zip by. 

So far they hadn’t encountered any other dogs or people and Lena was grateful because she wasn’t sure how the puppy would react, but the next isle they were in wasn’t empty. An older lady with a tiny chihuahua was squinting at the items on the shelf, her dog pulling at it’s leash when it spotted Lena and Humphrey at the end of the aisle. It started barking maniacally, and the old lady turned to scold her dog, trying to shush it. 

Lena left the cart with Humphrey at the end of the aisle, not wanting to antagonize the chihuahua or bother the other woman as she grabbed some puppy shampoo off a shelf. 

“Sorry about Gizmo here. He likes to ‘protect me’.” Said the old lady, giving Lena a small smile as she passed.

“No worry at all.” Lena smiled back. “He’s doing a great job.”

The lady chuckled and nodded. “Yours is too. He looks about ready to jump out of the cart and come over here.”

Lena turned and sure enough Humphrey was making little sounds as he tried to climb over the side of the cart, his back legs flailing as he tried to go over. She all but ran over to him, pushing him away from the side of the cart and petting him as the puppy realized Lena wasn’t actually leaving him forever and calmed down. She placed the puppy shampoo down in the cart beside him and sighed. 

“What am I gonna do with you, huh?” She said. Humphrey just barked softly, tail wagging as he looked up at her. 

The old woman had approached them by now, her own dog going crazy around her feet but she paid him no mind as she talked to Lena. 

“What a handsome fellow you have there.” The woman said. Humphrey seemed to preen at the compliment, tail thumping against the plastic sides of the cart. “How old is he? He looks like he’s gonna be a big boy.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. He’s not really mine, I’m just watching him for now.”

“Ah I see.” The old woman nodded. “Well, good luck to the both of you. Hopefully he’s not giving you too much trouble.” She smiled and with a short wave she was off, dragging the yapping chihuahua behind her as they turned the corner into the next aisle. 

Lena watched her go, all the while petting Humphrey who seemed content enough that he had settled momentarily. A quick glance at the list on her phone showed they were about done. All that was left was an assortment of chew toys for the puppy so that he could play with and not chew up Lena’s rather expensive furniture. 

Lena marveled yet again at the wide variety of doggy chew toys the store had to offer. She piled a good variety into the cart, giving Humphrey a few minutes to sniff the toys so she could decide which ones she was going to buy. They settled on a small stuffed duck, bright purple in color, a textured ball that Humphrey refused to put down once he got it in his mouth, a second ball that Humphrey also tried to fit in his mouth without putting down the first one, and a squeaky rubber bone that was chew-safe.

As Lena was setting everything down on the conveyor belt something shiny caught her eye and she looked up to see neat racks of dog tags ready to be etched with information. She debated with herself for only a minute before she caved and grabbed one in the shape of a gray bone, adding it to her purchase. It made sense that Humphrey had some sort of identification on him in the very unlikely event that he wandered off and got lost, but Lena would rather be safe than sorry and she didn’t think she could live with herself if she lost the puppy. 

Once Lena paid she wheeled Humphrey and his new stuff over to the machine in the corner that lasered the dog tags. She couldn’t help the giddy feeling that ran through her as she put Humphrey’s name on one side of the tag and her own on the other along with her address and phone number. 

Her driver was already waiting for her when they made their way out and he helped Lena put the bags in the back as Lena held a squirming Humphrey. She smiled down at the dozing puppy in her lap as they made their way home, feeling a little excited at the prospect of playing with Humphrey and his new toys, and a pang of sadness hit her square in the chest when she realized they only had six more days together before he would be gone. As she ran her fingers through his fur, she made a vow that they would make the best of the time they had together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up that im starting school soon so chapter updates might be a little more sparse but i will get them out! just bug me on twitter for updates lmao @ zrhueiaos


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wassup everyone go check out the supercorpzine on tumblr!!! sign up ends in two plus weeks so get those applications in while you still can! 
> 
> enjoy

They both slept better that night, but only after Lena and Humphrey cuddled on the bed again. The puppy was content enough to nibble on his new bed and doze half on and half off it, but when it came time for them to sleep, his little voice made itself known and Lena had no intention of staying up as late again, especially because she had work the next day. So, the two cuddled, Humphrey providing a solid warmth and Lena too scared to move too much during the night lest she accidentally squish him.

In the morning Lena rushed as she got ready for work, grabbing an extra bag full of Humphrey’s stuff as they both made their way out, the puppy wrestling and biting with the harness and leash that he now wore. Thankfully Lena was able to scoop him up on her way down to her car and Humphrey, defeated, dozed on the seat next to her.

Her security waved her through as easy as any other day, but she did catch the not-so-subtle looks they were giving each other when they thought she wouldn’t notice. Most of her staff usually only gave her a curt nod or a quick and polite hello when they crossed paths, but today everyone did a double-take as she walked by with little Humphrey on the leash. The puppy eagerly tried to run at anyone and everyone that they walked by, and Lena watched in amusement as people stooped down to pet the puppy, cooing at him in baby voices then coughing when they noticed her watching them. 

Her usual ten minute walk through the building to her office turned into a thirty minute ordeal since everyone wanted to pet Humphrey. She was a little fidgety, worried that he might bite or have an accident, but Humphrey lapped up all the attention like a pro, tail wagging and giving little yips anytime he saw someone new.

By the time they made it to her office Lena knew that word had already circulated that she had a visitor with her, because Jess, ever the professional just gave Lena a polite nod and seemed wholly unsurprised at her furry friend.

Once she made sure the door was securely closed, Lena unclipped Humphrey from his leash and the puppy set out to explore everything. She got to work quickly, setting out his new bed by her desk along with a handful of toys. The water and food bowls went by the wall next to her couch, and she put a new roll of puppy pads in the restroom. There was no way in hell or high water that Lena was going to leave him at home while she was working, so she made sure that she was absolutely prepared to have him at the office all day. She had spent the rest of her time after shopping reading on the care of a puppy, resorting to google for most of her information so she felt somewhat prepared to deal with him at work.

She whistled, getting the puppy’s attention and then called him over. Humphrey trotted contentedly, even more so when he noticed the bright red toy in Lena’s hand.

“Alright Humphrey, you’re gonna learn to be in your bed while I’m at work okay?” The toy Lena held was full of tiny treats. It was supposed to stimulate a dog’s curiosity and keep them occupied, so Lena figured it would work well enough to get him to be near her desk for a good chunk of her morning while she sorted through emails.

“Sit.” Humphrey was a smart little guy and had more or less already grasped the concept of sitting. It took them a few more tries but the new toy was incentive enough and soon Humphrey was distracted enough by the toy that Lena let out a breath, finally able to begin actually working.

It worked, but only for around thirty minutes, the time it took the puppy to eat up the treats that Lena had stuffed in the toy. After that, Humphrey wanted to play. WIth her shoes. Not his bed, not any of his bright, new toys. Her shoes. Her very expensive shoes. The shoes that she kicked off under her desk, the same place that she thought Humphrey was dozing until she felt his tongue lick a stripe on her bare foot and she pushed her chair back, spotting her now chewed up Jimmy Choos. More like Jimmy chews, from the mangled mess they were now.

Humphrey still had some shoe in his mouth, little teeth nibbling contentedly away, his paws pushing at it. It very much took everything in Lena not to scream. The little puppy paused in his chewing to look up at her, big eyes wide and round with wonder and curiosity, that funny pink tongue of his slipping out the side of his mouth making him look comical and cute. 

“Humphrey.” Lena’s voice was calm, steady even as she leveled her gaze at the dog. Humphrey sat up, noticing his human was giving him attention and deciding the best thing to do was try to jump on her lap. 

“Sir, those are- were! My shoes. My very expensive shoes. That you just made a mess out of. You know what? You’re just a dog, you have no concept of monetary value. And you’re a baby. You don’t know better.” Lena groaned and put her forehead down on the stack of papers she had been slowly working through. One hand went to pet Humphrey, her fingers running through the thick fur on his neck. She sighed and peeked him. 

“God, I have no idea what I’m doing. But I guess this is new for both of us huh? What do you say you promise to do your best and I’ll do my best not to lose my shit when you chew something. Sorry! I meant, lose my cool.” Lena laughed lightly at herself. She still caught herself apologizing to Humphrey when she cursed. Not like he could go around repeating it but it’s the principle of the thing. 

Humphrey was now leaning heavily against Lena’s leg, eyes squinted in satisfaction at getting a good rub behind the eyes, his breathing slow and even, as relaxed as a puppy could be. Lena just watched him, still curious about the little guy and his behaviors and attitude. She would only have him for a few days but it was still good to learn about him and she had never had a dog before, so this was a new and rather thrilling experience, albeit a bit frustrating. 

The puppy’s head started falling, and Lena laughed as Humphrey tried to keep himself from dozing, but eventually the tiredness of being a puppy won out, and he dropped to the floor, curling up as close to Lena’s foot as possible. Lena made a mental note of where he was so as not to accidentally roll over him with her chair, and settled back into her work.

By the time lunch rolled around Humphrey was decidedly done with exploring his new environment and had only had one accident, a fact that which Lena was very proud of and she made sure the puppy knew it too. He was distracted enough with his new toys that, besides Lena’s shoes, hadn’t chewed anything else that wasn’t specifically for him. Lena was also grateful that she didn’t have any meetings scheduled for the day because she had no intention of leaving the puppy alone but she also was not going to bring him into a room full of important shareholders that would most likely see something like that as unprofessional.

Her alarm for lunch went off and she almost ignored it, if not for the soft whining of her new companion that let her know that even though she wasn’t going to stop for food, he definitely was.

“You hungry already boy?” Lena asked, standing from her chair and stretching her cramped back muscles. “I’m kind of surprised, given how much I gave you this morning. But you’re a growing boy, gotta get big and strong yeah?” Lena squatted and cooed at the puppy, ruffling his fluffy fur while Humphrey licked at her hands.

“Alright I get it, you’re a hungry dude. Give me a sec and you’ll have a full belly in no time.”

Lena grabbed the new bag of dog food she had bought to keep in her office and popped it open. Humphrey whined impatiently, a constant presence at her side as she made her way around the office with his serving to put into his food bowl. She poured the bowl and held it over the puppy’s head. “Humphrey, sit.”

Humphrey whined and tried to get on his hind legs to reach, but Lena moved back and out of his way. “You gotta wait buddy, sit first then food.” Lena waited until all four of his paws were back on the ground before she held the bowl over his head again. “Sit.”

This time the puppy whined but he sat on his haunches, seeming to slam his butt down just to get it over with. Lena laughed and put the bowl on the floor. “Good boy Humphrey! You’re such a smart baby!” 

Humphrey dug into it like it was a five course meal and he was a starved man, bits of dog food flying everywhere. Lena laughed and pet him, cooing at him as he ate. She was worried for a second about the mess but Humphrey made quick work of any pieces that had fallen to the floor, his little tongue dragging across the tile and picking up any stray food. When he decided that there were, unfortunately, no more food to be found he trotted over to Lena and licked at her hands.

She spent a few moments with him, taking to him all the while as she tossed him a ball to chase, and when he got tired of that another toy that made a noise. When Lena noticed that he was getting sleepy again she scooped him up and sat back at her desk, Humphrey yawning widely and settling onto her lap for a nap. Lena smiled at him and got right back to work, one hand constantly petting him while the other typed away. Maybe taking care of him wouldn’t be as hard as she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 sign up = one treat for humphrey


End file.
